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Overview

One of the most popular day trips from Prague 37 miles (60 km) to the west, Kutná Hora was once famed for its silver mines that bloated the treasury of the Bohemia kingdom at its 14th-century zenith. Indeed, at the time, Kutná Hora was second only to Prague in the realm, hence the town‘s assortment of impressive, UNESCO-listed Gothic facades. The supply of silver ore has long since run dry, but tourism now fills the town’s coffers, most heading out from the capital to view one of the Czech Republic’s eeriest sights, a chapel decorated with thousands of human bones (called an ossuary). One of several such "attractions" dotted around the ...

One of the most popular day trips from Prague 37 miles (60 km) to the west, Kutná Hora was once famed for its silver mines that bloated the treasury of the Bohemia kingdom at its 14th-century zenith. Indeed, at the time, Kutná Hora was second only to Prague in the realm, hence the town‘s assortment of impressive, UNESCO-listed Gothic facades. The supply of silver ore has long since run dry, but tourism now fills the town’s coffers, most heading out from the capital to view one of the Czech Republic’s eeriest sights, a chapel decorated with thousands of human bones (called an ossuary). One of several such "attractions" dotted around the country, the Kutná Hora ossuary, located in the suburb of Sedlec, is the most flamboyantly arranged and features a chandelier containing at least one of every bone in the human body. Away from this ghoulish scene, Kutná Hora’s star turns are its Gothic structures, erected by the town’s wealthy burghers during the medieval silver rush. These include the Cathedral of St. Barbara, aptly dedicated to the patron saint of miners, and the Italian Court, which served as the royal Bohemian mint until 1727. It was here that the Prague groschen, one of medieval Europe’s most stable currencies, was struck.

About the Expert

Marc Di Duca has written and updated more than 40 guides, mainly for Lonely Planet but also for AA, Thomas Cook, Berlitz and Bradt. Having spent the last 20 years exploring the former communist world, his main field of expertise is Eastern Europe and Siberia.